Demi Lovato's new song Sober, which she released on Thursday, is the singer's confession about relapsing with alcohol addiction. The Camp Rock Star had been sober for six years, but now she has admitted of a relapse with her new song. Sober is already breaking the Internet and the topping charts.
The lyrics of her song are more like an apology letter to all her peers, friends and fans, who have constantly supported her.
Lovato feels she has failed those who love her. But has she? We all understand what a struggle it is to fight an addiction. It is a battle which lasts a lifetime. Hence, Lovato doesn't need to apologise, because relapse is more like a misstep than failure.
It takes courage to come clean
According to an article in Time, the former Disney star entered rehab in 2010, at age 18, to seek treatment for substance abuse, depression and bulimia. Since then, she has spoken openly about her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. Though her struggle with addiction was not a secret, Lovato still feels she has let down millions of people, including her parents and friends, by relapsing. This guilt is visible in the lyrics of Sober.
"Momma I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore / And Daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor,” goes the chorus of her song. “To the ones who never left me, we’ve been down this road before / I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore.”
She apologises to her fans, who have watched her conquer her addiction and rooted for her.
“I’m sorry for the fans I lost, who watched me fall again / I wanna be a role model, but I’m only human.”
If anything, her fans are super proud of her, for showing the courage to come clean. Most alcoholics hide their relapse from their loved ones out of shame. They fear rejection and loathing at hands of those who love them. Instead of reaching out, they continue to spiral down the vortex of addiction alone, without any support system. But relapse in alcohol addiction is not as uncommon as we may think it to be.
A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) report says that approximately 90 percent of alcoholics are likely to experience at least one relapse over the 4-year period following treatment.
Which is why Lovato shouldn't feel so dejected about her relapse and her supporters must take it in their stride. It is difficult to be on both sides of this situation. The addicts have their own struggles to conquer, but they need support and love. They feel sorry for letting down those who love them. On the other hand peers of alcoholics find themselves caught in a loop, where they have to pull their loved ones out of alcohol addiction and rehabilitate them, only to start all over again. But then such is the menace of this vice. You cannot break out of its grip once and for all.
Lovato is a still a role model for admitting her relapse. Not many people have the courage to admit failure. Not many have the talent to transform their struggles into a melody. So right now, she should just concentrate on getting back on her feet, instead of worrying about letting down her fans. In Sober, they understand her struggles and her dilemma. And they will be by her side every time she falls.
Picture Credit: 965tic.cbslocal.com
Also Read : Chhattisgarh Women’s Group Spreads Awareness On Alcoholism
Yamini Pustake Bhalerao is a writer with the SheThePeople team, in the Opinions section. The views expressed are the author’s own.
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